At 88, Jane Fonda Is Reframing How She Thinks Of Beauty As She Ages

Jane Fonda has spent decades under the bright lights of Hollywood, and over the years, she's learned a thing or two about the industry and its beauty standards. The "Grace and Frankie" star celebrated her 88th birthday in December 2025, and her healthy outlook on what really defines one's beauty has been years in the making. Even though she is among the growing list of famous older women who don't seem to age, Fonda defines true beauty by who a person is on the inside, regardless of age. "Beauty is confidence, beauty is intelligence, beauty is caring about people," she said during a May 2026 interview with Women's Health. "All of this comes through when a person really cares about other people, and that creates its own beauty. And this is something that I've grown more confident in."

When it comes to unlocking her own beauty, one of the key things for Fonda has been to simply accept the aging process rather than try to fight it. After living in France for nine years, Fonda said that being around French women who aren't afraid of aging helped her realize she, too, could overcome the fear of getting older. Changing her mindset has made all the difference for Fonda, who now recognizes that outer beauty is fleeting, while inner beauty is long-lasting. "I was brought up to believe that everything depended on how you looked. You had to be thin, you had to be beautiful, you had to be perfect," Fonda said. "And getting over that was very important, and it took time." Now, when she looks in the mirror, Fonda said of her own inner beauty, "I don't necessarily see it, but I feel it."

As Jane Fonda has matured over the years, so has her body, which is why her beauty routine looks quite different now than when she was younger. One of the beauty practices that has drastically changed in her later years is taking proper care of her skin. "I used to go to bed with my makeup on," Fonda admitted to Women's Health. "I didn't know that that was bad for you. Plus, I was always in the sun, so that was bad for my skin." As your skin is one of the parts of your body that ages the fastest, according to science, the actor has made it a top priority. "Now I make sure that my skin is moisturized," Fonda commented. 

Similarly, she has also shifted her haircare routine as she's gotten older, making the decision to embrace her natural gray hair, which she debuted at the 2020 Oscars. Fonda has joined the ranks of celebrities who proudly show off their gray hair, and it's certainly paid off. The Hollywood icon revealed that her hair has actually gotten healthier since she stopped coloring it.

As for her exercise routine, Fonda says she does a lot of the same activities she's always done to stay fit, but slows them down instead. "It's like sex," she explained. "Slower. Everything is better when it's slower." The actor shared that she works out and goes for walks on the regular, which is something she prioritizes now. "Moving is more important when you're older than when you're younger," she said. Another thing that has become more important for Fonda in her later years is her sleep schedule. She said she makes sure to sleep at least seven or eight hours per night, and when she doesn't, she finds herself to be "very unhappy."